I am the Director of Conservation Science for Paso Pacifico (www.pasopacifico.org), an environmental non-profit dedicated to biodiversity conservation and sustainable community development in southwestern Nicaragua. Our organization works in Nicaragua's Paso del Istmo, a 12-mile-wide isthmus of land between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific Ocean. Even though this area is small, it is a microcosm of the biodiversity -- and conservation challenges -- found throughout Central America. The terrestrial region is dominated by tropical dry forest, of of the world's most endangered ecosystems. This ecosystem is highly fragmented due to conversion to cattle pasture, agriculture, and rapid development. However, this little sliver of land is still home to a plethora of endangered animals, from nesting sea turtles to spider monkeys. At Paso Pacifico, we are working to rebuild connectivity between human livelihoods and biodiversity, one step at a time.

In addition to working for Paso Pacifico, I am currently Acting Assistant Professor at the Unviersity of Washington Bothell, where I teach Introductory Biology, Ecology, and Conservation. Starting in June 2012 I will be leaving UWB to work full time for Paso Pacífico, with an affiliation as a visiting scholar at Stanford University.